AS9102 Form 3: A Field-by-Field Walkthrough of Characteristic Accountability

Form 3 is indexed by balloon numbers, so the drawing comes first. Every design characteristic gets a unique number: each dimension, each tolerance and GD&T callout, each note that imposes a requirement, surface finish, thread callouts, and so on. The ballooned drawing is submitted with the FAIR, so the customer can trace every Form 3 row to a spot on the print.

Number systematically — zone by zone, or clockwise per view — so a reviewer can find balloon 47 without hunting. Don't renumber mid-FAIR. Where a characteristic repeats (4X holes, for example), use one balloon with sub-numbers or a separate number per instance, and follow your customer's convention; what matters is that every instance gets its own result.

The header repeats the identity from Form 1: part number, part name, serial number of the inspected part, and the FAI report number. Each row then starts with the characteristic number (the balloon), the reference location (drawing sheet and zone, so the reviewer can find it), and a characteristic designator where the customer flags key or critical characteristics — leave it blank when the drawing doesn't designate.

The requirement column states exactly what the drawing requires, including the tolerance: write '0.500 +0.002/-0.000', not '0.500'. For GD&T, include the full feature control frame. For notes, quote the requirement in short form, like 'Break sharp edges 0.005–0.015.'

For variable characteristics, record the actual measured value — '0.5013', not 'OK' or 'in tolerance.' Reviewers reject 'pass' entries for dimensions because they can't verify them. For attribute characteristics (a visual check, a go/no-go thread gage, a marking requirement), record a conforming statement such as 'Conforms' and make sure the method is identifiable.

Each result should be traceable to how it was measured. Many shops record the inspection instrument by ID next to the result; whatever your format, the gage must be in your calibration system and in date on the inspection date — that's the first thing an auditor cross-checks. Where a characteristic is verified by designed or qualified tooling, such as a dedicated check fixture, record that in the tooling column rather than a measured value.

Characteristics verified by a supplier or a special process — material properties, plating thickness, heat treat hardness — are usually evidenced by certs listed on Form 2. On Form 3, the result references that evidence, and the cert numbers must match Form 2 exactly.

If a characteristic is out of tolerance, record the actual value anyway, and enter the nonconformance report number in the nonconformance column. The FAI isn't complete until the nonconformance is dispositioned and the cause corrected — typically with a re-inspection of the affected characteristics on a corrected part.

Partial FAIs (after a design change, process change, or source change) only need Form 3 rows for the characteristics affected by the change; Form 1 records that the FAI is partial and references the baseline FAIR. Be explicit about which balloons are included and why — reviewers reject partials that don't say what changed.

The usual rejection reasons are bookkeeping, not bad parts: a balloon on the drawing with no row on Form 3; 'OK' instead of actual values; a gage that was out of calibration on the inspection date; cert numbers that don't match Form 2; notes and specifications that were never ballooned; a revision mismatch between the drawing and Form 1.

The DIY route is a spreadsheet template with the Form 3 columns, plus a dedicated ballooning tool that exports a characteristic list, so you never retype requirements. Check row count against the highest balloon number before you submit.

Traveler is being built to generate Forms 1–3 from part, job, lot, and inspection data, import characteristic lists from ballooning tools rather than ballooning itself, and block inspection steps that use an out-of-calibration gage. That compliance suite is planned as part of the $109/month flat price.